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Unknown Worlds, the studio behind Natural Selection 2, have announced a new game in a genre that they “do not believe has yet been invented”. Popping players in a customisable submarine, Subnautica will “combine elements of role playing, sandbox, exploration and cinematic games to create a unique experience”. There aren’t many details yet but there’s a superficial (at least) resemblance to Hello Games’ recently announced No Man’s Sky, particularly when it comes to close encounters of the weird kind: “Interaction with impossibly diverse and fascinating creatures. Some of these creatures will be truly enormous, all of them will be unique.” I’ve embedded a video below and Unknown Worlds promise open development, with early access some time next year, and frequent updates at their site.

Here’s a brief overview and ‘welcome’ to the project.

The ‘unique’ nature of the creatures suggests some degree of procedural generation but the developers don’t appear to be aiming for free-form underwater adventures.

The underwater environment will invite you to construct submarines and develop your equipment in order to reach its far flung and diverse corners. Decisions you make about vessel layout, capabilities and structure will affect your ability to navigate hazards and enter the domains of creatures; the likes of which your imagination has never conceived of.

You guys have really submerged to a whole new depth of pun-foolery. I’m a little wet behind the ears when it comes to the art, and I doubt I’d be of any kelp. So I’ll not make any attempt and just be off.

I’m pleased to sea them plumb the depths of this kind of exploration game.

I personally can’t fathom why leagues of people would want access to the minutiae of development (unless they are perhaps budding designers?). I prefer to hold off until full release and immerse myself then.

AquaNox was such a let down after the stellar Schleichfahrt! Why the hell would you dump a main character like Emerald “Deadeye” Flint for some ridiculous cartoon nobody-wannabe?!
Still, I don’t think this game will be similar as it lacks any kind of combat (at least UWE never mentioned it).
After having played NS2 for nearly 2 years almost exclusively I am convinced it is the most brilliantly realized MP game I’ve ever played. I got trust in UWE that they can pull this off, even if the concept they are aiming for is pretty untested.

I wouldn’t say this is Molyneaux-esque. There just isn’t very much to go on. Outside of it being underwater and featuring big sea creatures, there isn’t any info on what the game will actually consist of. Molyneaux might get over excited about his ideas, but at least we actually know what the ideas are.

NS2 is superb, so I have faith that Unknown Worlds will (eventually) make something interesting here. I’m just not sure if it will be something that interests me.

Not necessarily. all we know is that she sells the sea shells by the sea shore. We don’t know if the sea shells she sells sell well, hell you can easily find free sea shells by the sea shore. The sea shore she sells sea shells at may even be polluted, and she would have no luck selling if the sea shells smell.

Sounds interesting (stress on sounds). The title strikes me as odd though. Subnautica sounds like something not quite nautical. So it’s a game about putting to sea in some sort of bathtub or inflatable pool raft.

“Oh, that looks like an…”, “No, it does NOT, it’s completely unique, the likes of which your imagination has never conceived of”, “Uh, sure, if you say so”. That’s probably not the case with people talking about unique stuff, but I like to think that it is, because it fits with the pretentious claims that these people make.